California Bill Will Ban Child Vaccine Exemptions

A new bill which will require all California schoolchildren to get vaccinated before going to school will soon undergo its first public hearing on Wednesday. The states of Washington and Oregon also attempted to pass similar bills, but they were not passed.

The measure, which would end parents' ability to obtain vaccination waivers for their children based on personal beliefs or religious reasons, passed the state Senate Health Committee on a 6-2 vote.

The California Senate health committee will hear SB277 by Sen. Richard Pan, a Democratic pediatrician from Sacramento.  

The bill now will be heard by the Senate Education Committee, followed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee. It will also need to make its way through the Assembly before Gov. Jerry Brown decides whether to sign or veto the bill.

Supporters say the measure would increase the number of vaccinated young people and improve public health.

Leah Russin, a Bay Area mom and leader of Vaccinate California, said she was terrified to take her baby son to child care centers where vaccinations are not required. "To protect my baby from preventable disease before he could be vaccinated, I needed everyone in my community to be vaccinated, and that is not happening, according to the Pasadena Star-News.

However, opponents say vaccines can be as dangerous as the diseases they aim to fight and that the bill would trample parental rights.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California is among 20 states that allow for personal belief exemptions and 48 that allow for religious exemptions.